Delphine Leroux

Founder & Director of Vancouver Branch

Delphine Leroux – Founder and Director

Meet Delphine Leroux, the dynamic and driven founder of First Dance Vancouver. She is a caring teacher, a passionate performer, an inspiring and renown artist that believes, first and foremost, in the power of dance dance. Whether it is through a simple class, or an elaborate large scale dance performance or even through an eclectic flash mob, she believes in the power that dance has to bring people together and shift the world for the better.

Delphine Leroux trained in Montreal where she studied ballet, contemporary and improvisation at l’Ecole Supérieure de Ballet Contemporain. After graduating college in 2005, she began her career in a small ballet company in Kelowna. She then moved to Vancouver to join Ballet British Columbia for four seasons where she had the pleasure of performing works by top choreographers. In 2010, she took part in the Opening Ceremonies for the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Delphine is now enjoying her flourishing career as an independent artist. Since 2011, she has had the great privilege of performing across Canada, touring internationally and teaching in Vancouver.

The heart of First Dance Vancouver is this wonderful, passionate woman, filled with energy and charm. Connected to the best dancers Vancouver has to offer and dedicated to the cause of dance, she knows that her work will inspire, energize and leave audiences craving more.

Kathryn Crawford

First Dance Wellington

To keep up-to-date with her and follow First Dance‘s fabulous new adventures in New Zealand, like our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Meet Kathryn Crawford, the woman behind First Dance Wellington. She is a dedicated and caring teacher and is passionate about using dance to connect people. Kathryn has experienced first hand the power that dance has to deepen relationships, improve communication, and most importantly, bring joy to any (and every) body.

Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C. Kathryn has been dancing most of her life. Kathryn trained in Vancouver, while attending various summer programs on scholarship. Upon graduating, Kathryn was a part of the Ballet B.C. Mentor Program for 2 years, where she had the opportunity to perform featured roles in works by Emily Molnar, John Alleyne, Simone Orlando, and James Gnam among others. As a dancer, Kathryn has worked with Ballet B.C., the plastic orchid factory, Judith Marcuse Projects and had the opportunity to work with Melanie Demers, Louise Bedard and Austin McCormick while participating in the Springboard Professional Project in Montreal. Her career has taken her across North America and to Asia, where she performed in the Bangkok International Festival with Move: the Company.

Kathryn’s choreography has been featured in Vancouver at events such as Dances for a Small Stage, as well as winning awards at competitions throughout the greater Vancouver area. Kathryn recently completed a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, focusing on injury prevention, anatomy and physiology.

Kathryn has been bringing dance to diverse people and places for the past 12 years as a teacher and performer (including the last 3 years with First Dance Vancouver!). Having recently started a new chapter of life with a move to Wellington, she is excited to bring her passion and knowledge to whatever her clients’ vision may be!

In December 2017, my partner and I packed up our life and shipped it to New Zealand. Making the move to Wellington was a big step, one that comes with many opportunities to connect with new places, new people, and whole new communities! I could not be more excited to start this new chapter.

Even before leaving, I knew that I wanted to continue on the journey that I started with First Dance Vancouver. Dance has always been a part of my life: as a student, a professional, and a teacher. I have seen and felt first-hand the transformative power of this special language. Even so, becoming a part of First Dance Vancouver was a turning point for me. Having always worked with individuals who made dance a regular and significant part of their life, whether that was as pre-professional students, professionals, or adult beginners, I had never before seen what can happen when dance becomes a part of unexpected spaces and interactions. I truly realized the amazing impact that dance can have on anyone. I have been a part of flash-mobs, bridal party dances, and of course, amazing first dances. It is a true privilege to be a part of these special moments in peoples’ lives. A custom first dance tailored to your vision becomes much more than a few steps strung together – it is an opportunity to be present together; to communicate; to work on a challenge as a team. Often, it is an opportunity to relax and get away from all the wedding planning stress and spend an hour laughing together.

I hope that in starting First Dance Wellington, I can create opportunities to spread the joy and transformative power of dance. I hope to inspire, energize, and make special moments just that much more memorable. Too often a first dance is an afterthought or a source of stress. Let’s make it an enjoyable experience together!